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I am all for customer service and the power of the consumer. It's part of the reason why I enjoy buying from small business and individual craftspeople: I know that they care about the service or products that they are providing me and my option of them.

However, in this time of ultra-consumer-centered culture where the customer is always right, I think that things are a bit out of balance. There's a difference between a legitimate complaint and some one that's just being an unreasonable a$$ or just LOOKING for a reason to complain.
The "lady" mentioned in Dave's post clearly fell into at least 1 of the later 2 categories.

I see nothing wrong or in bad taste with posting stories like this. Reputation is EVERYTHING to business like Dave's and its important to make sure that your side of the story gets out there. Even after being way nicer to her than he needed to be, he still doesn't know if this person is running around telling stories like "Oh, I paid SOOOOO much money for this "PERFECT" board and it came to me with a "HUGEEE" crack in it. WELL! I sent it right back to him and he wont be getting any more of MY precious business!!! HRMPF!!!!"
It's important for people to hear the truth from Dave.

Consumers are all very concerned about customer feedback about a business, but what about business feedback about a customers? If I was a custom board maker, I'd sure what to know problem customers so that I could look out for them when they showed in my shop.

Stories like this always remind me of the best GM that I ever worked for. He always said that customer service is about insuring people get what they deserve, but NOT about encouraging unreasonable or bad behavior. He had a very good nose for when someone had a legitimate complaint and when they where complaining just to complain. He would always be very politely and calmly explain "the way it is" to unreasonable people "no sir, I do not believe your steak was tough; it was Kobe beef and and there's not an ounce of it left on your plate... no sir, I will not comp your check... no sir you can not sit here and order more food and complain about that too, I would like you to leave my restaurant at this point and never come back."
People where always so surprised when he walked them out the door. "Yes, this is private property and you are only here at our permission... and now you no longer have that permission. BYE!"

He always called unreasonable and unhappy people "poison" to a business and said that he didn't want to try and make them happy; he just wanted them as far away from his establishment as possible. He took amazing care of his GOOD customers and the restaurant was never better or with longer waits lists then when he was running it.

So, bottom line, stories like this ENCOURAGE me to buy from Dave and to recommend his work to other people. People like "Paradox" may get all "<shrug>y" when the "tone" scares them and makes them feel like their delicate consumer demands and sensibilities might not be coddled or at least viewed with the absurd tact and reverence that they would like, but I think that they are in the minority.

First, I think the way that vendors and non-vendors are mixed together here is a big strength of KKF. Also, maybe it's a bit dangerous for a vendor to make a bit of a crack about, well, a miniscule crack in a cutting board and how a steak could fit into it. But big deal. Turns out people are like cutting boards - the wooden ones, at least - because there's no perfection.

You always take a bit of a chance when you try to be humorous, because there's always someone who won't get the joke or who will resent you because they don't find you funny. Anyway, I'd prefer people to be human in that way and let their guard down a little - even the vendors, who tend to sound a bit more earnest and diplomatic than your average member.

We've recently seen threads on things such as pro-kitchen pet peeves, and it would be good to hear something similar on vendor peeves, though I know that will never happen!

I just inspected my wood boards (and my BoardSmith) and I'm sending them all back As well as some of my floor boards, a rolling pin, and my walnut table too.

Anyhow, I won't pile on to this subject much more, but in today's Amazon stars and Yelp complaining society, hearing the negative is more common than the positive it seems -- unless we live on Facebook and count those cherished thumbs up. Dave's boards are widely considered some of the best, and I think this lady had expectations that were out of line from reality and pretty unreasonable. That's unfortunate for Dave, and her misfortune in general. I'd hate to be her son making his first birdhouse in shop class.

But with that said, there are threads on other foodie forums that recommend Dave's boards and this scenario seems inevitable IMO. Just saying. And I have no problem with Dave raising the issue on the forum, but I am sure other vendors would choose not to take this approach.

k.

There is a cult of ignorance in the United States...nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” -- Isaac Asimov

K, I will also take your table. That thing is what dreams are made of!

What I love about this place is on display, right now. You guys (and me) are sticking up for a craftsman, who just so happens to be a customer of other vendors here. Cutty hit it right on the head - our dynamic here is different and that's what makes it so great!

Okay, the steak comment was a snide jab and wasn't meant to demean the customer, who remains un-named, or make me look better. Hopefully any future jokes won't be so off beat.

My reasons for sharing wasn't to vent or to complain or to demean a customer. I was hoping to show another side of the business that we rarely see. I read a lot of good things here about my boards and I try to not let those wonderful comments go to my head. I don't shamelessly promote my boards because I am a vendor and rarely show my current work. I also realize this is a knife centered forum and my boards are secondary. If someone has a question, I will answer as thoroughly as I can and do so in a manner that doesn't try to point a potential customer to my side. So if I get a little offended when I see a return that shouldn't have happened please excuse me.

To those I offended anyone with my tale, I sincerely apologize and hope it will not cause any more hard feelings.